The Love Complex (Completed)

-17-

"To love at all is to be vulnerable." -C.S.Lewis

Dinner had been something unexpected. 

 Jaxon and Dylan had decided to meet once Jaxon left Valentina back at her condo. When the pair had left, Regina looked at Dylan with a look of both pity and empathy. There was too much to say, but they couldn't find the words to express their feelings about the evening with Valentina. Eventually, Dylan looked at her, "I'll go wash the dishes." he said, before turning to walk toward the kitchen.

Regina followed behind. Valentina had been oddly quiet a few minutes after she had told her the truth. She had expected her sister to say something during dinner, but she hadn't said a thing about what she had confessed. Instead, she had sneakily made snide comments about Dylan every once in a while. Of course, she had toned it down a bit.

When she had left, she also did so in a civilized way without making too much fuzz.

When they got to the kitchen, Dylan hurriedly began to wash the dishes before Regina stopped him. "It's fine. We can just put them in the dishwasher," she said, taking one of the dishes from his hands. Dylan looked at her for a few seconds before he nodded and helped her do it.

He seemed to be in deep thought throughout the rest of the evening. Once they had finished with the dishes, Dylan excused himself and told her he'd be going out. Regina nodded, but didn't ask him where he was heading.

It was eight thirty at night when Dylan got to the pub where he was planning on meeting with his younger brother. He had been at the pub only once and it was with Roger, after they had talked to Regina about the lease.

The pub was spacious but antiquated. It was mainly full of elder men in casual clothes playing dominoes on a large round table near the pool table. The men chuckled tiredly, every once in a while.  There was very little talk amongst them, most of the talking was done by the dominos that hit the wooden table with a thud.

The pub was not popular among the youths of the neighborhood, Roger had said, but it was quiet and had good alcohol.

Jaxon was still not there, so Dylan found a booth close to the door. A man in his twenties came toward him a few minutes later.

"What 'an I ge' yu?" His words were slurred from tiredness. Dylan looked at his face. He was young, but the dark circles around his eyes made him look older. There was a dark shadow in the side of his hand from pencil lead. He was probably still a student in the University.

Dylan thought about his days back in school. He had worked hard and even got a part time job. Like the young waiter, most nights he was exhausted and fought to keep going. 

"Water for now, I'm waiting for someone." He finally said. 

Before the young waiter could leave, he stopped him and handed him a tip. He knew that it probably wasn't much, but he couldn't help and see himself in him. It pained him. He had gone through so much for a dream that had disappeared in the blink of an eye. 

"Thanks," Dylan said. 

The young man nodded and left. 

Dylan waited for ten more minutes before Jaxon arrived. When he finally entered the pub, Jaxon  looked around, until he realized Dylan was sitting nearby.

When he sat down, the young man came toward the table again. They ordered some beer for Jaxon and a root beer for Dylan, who had to wake up early to work the next morning and was not much of a drinker.

It had been a month since the brothers had contacted one another, and Dylan knew that he would receive an earful from Jaxon. "We didn't talk much over there," Jaxon said looking at his drink.